HIMSS is the largest health IT-focused gathering in the United States each year. It’s meant to be a meeting of minds, where more than 40,000 professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors gather to advance the industry. But when 40,000 people are gathered in one place, and that place is Sin City, professionalism is sometimes turned on and off.
Hospitals and health systems are investing millions of dollars in health IT vendors and solutions at HIMSS, but those serious decisions and required professionalism stand in stark contrast to these lewd undertones. This is all worsened by the fact that this overt sexism lies parallel to one of the least women-friendly industries.
Conversations like those spurred by the Elephant in the Valley report are highlighting these issues and fostering necessary conversations. There has been progress, but the rate of it is slow.
“Sexism often crossed the line right into sexual harassment 20 years ago, and no one thought anything of it,” says Sherry Benton, PhD, chief science officer of Therapist Assisted Online, which provides online tools for patients to manage symptoms. “Fortunately, that situation is better than it used to be, although if it happens anywhere, anytime, it is not acceptable.”
Dr. Benton has worked in healthcare for 25 years, and health IT specifically for four years. She says while the proportion of women in technology and engineering is rising, men disproportionately occupy administrative level positions.
The tech industry’s boy’s club can’t persist as it has without consequence. The number of women in tech is faltering. In fact, women in STEM fields are 45 percent more likely to leave the industry than their male peers, according to 2014 research from the Center for Talent Innovation. A highly cited Harvard Business Review study from 2008 finds up to 50 percent of women in STEM will leave due to “hostile work environments.”
Few are taking action against this dynamic, but those who are standing up are supporting innovation, professionalism and equality. At this year’s HIMSS conference, there is a #HealthITChicks Meetup & Tweetup scheduled for March 1, where attendees — women and men — are invited to join Sue Schade, former CIO of Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers; Jennifer Dennard, founder of #healthITchicks; Rebecca Freeman, RN, CNO of ONC; and Dana Sellers, CEO of Encore Health Resources for a Twitter chat and special Q&A with these women healthcare leaders.
Only with recognition of the gender problem and greater collaboration will the tech industry’s sexism problem start to diminish, and the antiquated culture will catch up to modern levels of respect.
How will we know when we’ve gotten to an equal tech culture? Dr. Benton points to the restrooms at conferences.
“I…appreciate the lack of lines for the women’s restroom,” she says. “We will have visible progress when I have to wait in line.”
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